“Everyone, we were listening to your interesting conversation from the side. Would you mind telling us more in detail?”
The several people at the wine table looked up to see a petite young girl dressed as a wealthy merchant’s daughter standing by the table, accompanied by a maid who looked like an accountant.
The one speaking was the young lady, who was covering half of her face with a silk fan.
“Forgive our intrusion, friends.”
The maid stepped forward, took some silver pieces from her robes, and handed them over.
“We have just arrived in Yunjing, and my lady has always loved listening to street rumors. We just heard you mentioning a ‘Demon Empress.’ Would it be convenient for you to elaborate?”
The men glanced at each other, looking hesitant. After a moment, one of them reached out, took the silver, and tucked it into his robes. He lowered his voice and began to speak.
“Since you two are new here, it is no wonder you do not know. What we were just discussing is that Demon Empress who is bringing ruin to the country—nowadays, who in Yunjing does not know of her?”
Qu Linglong felt a slight stir in her heart.
‘Is the matter of the Evil Cultivators really this easy to investigate? It has spread so widely that everyone on the street knows?’
“May I ask… why is she called the ‘Demon Empress’? What evil deeds has she committed?” Lin Qianqian asked at the appropriate moment.
“Heh! Everyone knows that His Majesty is wise and divine, a man of great vision. In his entire life, his only mistake was marrying that Bai Zhi as his Empress! As for why she is called the Demon Empress?”
The man snorted, his voice dropping even lower, though every word remained sharp.
“Because she is fundamentally a White Fox Demon! Everyone in Yunjing knows this!”
“If you want to know what she has done—His Majesty has lived in seclusion for years, and even morning court sessions have become increasingly rare. Is it not because he has been bewitched by that woman? Not to mention that every few days, someone in the palace goes missing. Men, women, young, and old alike—they have all been snatched by that Demon Empress to practice evil arts!”
He became more agitated as he spoke, completely ignoring his companions’ meaningful glances and attempts to stop him.
Finally, he squeezed a sentence through gritted teeth.
“That Bai Zhi is nothing but an evil creature bringing disaster to the nation!”
……
“If that is the case, why has no one reported the rumors of this Demon Empress to the various sects of the Righteous Path to request a crusade?”
Inside Hunyuan Hall, after listening to Hall Master Li recount the folklore, Yun Xuechang asked with a slight frown.
“Daoist Friend Bai might not be aware,” Hall Master Li shook his head with a smile.
“Most of those ‘missing’ men and women in the rumors are actually palace servants who entered to serve the newly appointed concubines. It is only because that Empress Bai… is said to have a rather harsh temperament, and concubines are often sent to the Cold Palace. The servants following them are naturally implicated as well, trapped deep within the palace and unable to leave. This is what makes outsiders feel as though they have ‘vanished into thin air.'”
“As for why His Majesty has lived in seclusion in recent years, it is merely because he is in closed-door cultivation. The general political decrees and policies are still issued from time to time.”
“Have you verified this matter?” Hua Yan pressed.
“We have verified it, naturally.” Hall Master Li spoke with a certain tone.
“His Majesty personally explained this to several prominent cultivators—myself included. No matter how much His Majesty dotes on Empress Bai, it is impossible for him to tolerate her practicing murder and evil arts in the palace. Those words are merely the baseless rumors of the common folk.”
He waved his hand, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further.
“Very well, these are ultimately just idle street gossips, not worth looking into deeply. Compared to this, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Yunjing holds a grand celebration every year for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the city will be very lively then. Since you two Daoist Friends have just arrived in Yunjing, why not rest well? When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, you can take your daughter for a good stroll. What do you think?”
Hua Yan and Yun Xuechang glanced at each other and nodded in unison.
“Very well, then we thank the Hall Master for his kindness.”
……
“Mother, it is your turn.”
“Mhm.”
Inside the inn at night, two figures, one large and one small, sat opposite each other at a table wearing sleeping robes.
Black and white chess pieces were laid out on the table. The cool, white-haired girl held the black pieces, while the cute pink-haired girl held the white pieces; the battle was in full swing.
On the other side, the charming red-haired girl was also in her sleeping robes, lazily reclining on the couch as she spoke into a Sound Transmission Jade Slip.
“In other words, you also heard rumors about the Demon Empress, Bai Zhi, at a mortal inn in the West Market today?”
“Exactly. However, our information is far less detailed than what you discovered, Daoist Friend Hua.”
Qu Linglong’s voice came from the jade slip, carrying a slight sigh.
“If that Hall Master Li’s words are true, this might just be a baseless rumor, and the clues regarding the Evil Cultivators remain unclear.”
“It does not matter; this is only the first day.” Hua Yan did not seem to mind.
“In my opinion, that Empress surnamed Bai and the Emperor are both very suspicious. Who knows which one of them has a problem.”
“Haha, I won!”
Hua Xiangrong suddenly clapped and cheered from the side, clearly having won a round of the game.
‘Seriously… Yun Xuechang is a terrible player. She had the first move and still could not beat a child.’
Hua Yan glanced over and continued, “Then we will start gathering information from the direction of the Imperial Palace tomorrow. How about that?”
“Mhm. I can think of a way through the channels of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion. Daoist Friend Hua, as for your side…”
“No need for the trouble. There is actually another way.”
A warm breath suddenly brushed past Hua Yan’s ear. An ethereal voice spoke softly, startling her so much that her entire body trembled.
?!
“You—you, you, you!”
“Yun Xuechang! What are you doing leaning in so close all of a sudden!”
Hua Yan covered her ear and jumped up abruptly. A crimson flush quickly spread from her small earlobes, dyeing her entire face in the blink of an eye.
“I made a bet with Rongrong. The loser must do one thing for the winner,” Yun Xuechang said with apology in her eyes.
“Just now, Rongrong asked me to lean into your ear and say those words quietly.”
?!
“Hua Xiangrong! What kind of trick are you up to now!”
Hua Yan immediately turned her head, glaring fiercely at the little girl by the table.
“Because I have something important to tell Mother! Important words must be whispered close to the ear, of course!”
Hua Xiangrong blinked her large, bright pink eyes, looking completely innocent.
“We have already set up a Soundproofing Formation. Is there any need for whispering? Besides, could you not have her use Telepathy?”
“Is that so? Oh…”
The pink-haired girl nodded as if she only half-understood.
“Hey, hey, Daoist Friend Hua? Did I just hear you and Daoist Friend Yun doing something intimate? Although the night is quiet and you have reunited after a long time… the child is still there.”
From the Sound Transmission Jade Slip left on the couch, Qu Linglong’s teasing voice drifted out.
“We were not!”
Hua Yan was both angry and embarrassed, but she could not truly lose her temper with a child.
She could only grit her teeth and suppress her internal distress.
“Then tell me, what method do you have?” she asked, turning back to Hua Xiangrong.
“I saw it! I can directly take Mother and the others to find the mastermind!” Hua Xiangrong said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Mother, you do not need to spend any more time looking for clues!”
?!
‘Is this Dao Body really so effective? Has she glimpsed the future again?’
Hua Yan was stunned for a moment before she hurriedly followed up.
“Then who exactly is the person behind the scenes?”
“The person behind the scenes is…”
…
“Alright, the discussion is mostly finished. We should rest early; there is serious business tomorrow.”
After listening to Hua Xiangrong describe the future she saw and finishing the discussion on the specific plans for the Evil Purging, Hua Yan yawned.
She got up from the couch and picked up the girl who was still sitting in her chair reading a picture book.
“Little girl, it is time for bed.”
“Mhm, okay.”
Holding the soft girl who obediently put down her picture book, Hua Yan could not help but feel emotional.
‘Thankfully the girl is here. This path of Evil Purging will save us a lot of trouble.’
Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught the unfinished game on the table.
“I say, girl, how are you playing this game? Why does it not follow normal logic at all?”
Hua Yan frowned in confusion. She prided herself on being proficient in various types of board games, but looking at this match, she felt it was a complete mess that she could not understand at all.
“Oh, Mother and I were not playing Go. We were playing Five-in-a-row.”
Hua Xiangrong answered in a crisp voice.
“Five-in-a-row?”
“It is a game where you see who can connect five of their pieces into a single line first. The one who does it wins.”
“?”
Hearing about this novel way to play, Hua Yan felt an immediate itch in her heart and was eager to try.
“There is such a way to play? Hurry and teach me, girl.”
“Okay, okay! Mother, I will play a round with you…”
“It is time to sleep.”
The two of them turned their heads at the sound. They saw Yun Xuechang already sitting at the head of the bed, still dressed.
She was quietly watching the pair, her gaze calm but brooking no argument.
“Rongrong is still young and cannot stay up late. It is time to sleep. If you want to play, play some other day.”
“Oh…” x2